Ones Love and Sorrow
by SecretWriterPoM
Summary: When turned human, Skipper and Marlene face challenges of living in New York, not to mention their rapidly growing feelings toward each other. However, will complications split them away? Maybe not. Heavy Skilene, future M rated scenes. Requested.
1. Chapter 1

"It'll be ok, Marlene," a black haired man comforted. He stroked a women's back, Marlene's, and his hands caressed soft, smooth skin. Her skin was tanned with her long mahogany hair falling past her shoulders, covering most of her face. Her brown eyes were shut closed with tears escaping and trailing down her tear stained cheeks.

"How do you know, Skipper?" Marlene asked, shuddering through her sobs as she pressed her head against his chest. Her tanned arms were wrapped around the pale skin of his. Skipper's hair was black in a messy tussle. His eyes were a deep, sharp blue, strong like his muscles. He was just at the same height as she was.

They tried to forget that they hadn't been turned into humans by Kowalski's latest disaster. They tried to pretend that they weren't hiding in the Zoovenier shop on the cold floor. They tried to block out the thundering sound of rain and thunder outside. They tried to avoid thinking of what would happen in the morning. They tried to comfort each other through words and comforting touches.

Minutes of silence stretched between them before he bothered to answer.

"I trust my men."

A crackle of thunder.

"When will be back to normal?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"I don't know." His eyes looked up at a window upon seeing a shape pass by. "But I think we will soon find out."

There was a click and the door opened, letting in cold night air. Marlene's head whipped up and she wiped an arm across her face. A flash of light from far away lightning lit up their curious faces. They drew into themselves as three small shapes entered the shop, closing the door behind them. Only their outlines were visible through the darkness, likewise to Skipper and Marlene. But Skipper didn't need light to know who they were.

"Boys," he breathed, seeing Kowalski's, Rico's and Private's silhouettes. His and Marlene's face fell upon only hearing clicks and squawks from the tallest form, Kowalski.

Marlene felt her heart break. "We can't understand you..."

The sounds stopped immediately, filled with thoughtful silence instead. There was a click and Kowalski came forward, making various gestures and sounds. It would have been nice to use a Speak 'N Spell but they couldn't read, much less write as well as the others. Though Skipper watched the movements closely, following the pattern of the clicks, which he quickly found out was Morse code.

When Kowalski finished, silence fell all over again. Although it was filled with emptiness and bitter sweet realization. The news was both good and bad, rolling more onto bad.

Skipper closed his eyes, his lips in a firm line. He spoke, "That long?"

A nod of confirmation was given by Kowalski. He looked just as crestfallen as Skipper and the other two flightless birds. Marlene, however, was confused.

"How long will it be?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Kowalski, Private and Rico.

Skipper responded stiffly, "At least over a month."

Marlene inhaled a shuddering breath. A month...being a human?

"Men, go back and start working on that machine," Skipper commanded. "Kowalski, you are temporarily in charge. Now go."

Hesitation. But with a squawk they reluctantly left the shop, closing the door behind them again.

Skipper wasted no time in taking control of the situation. "Since we are going to be humans for a while, we need to fall into society. Staying in the zoo isn't ideal."

"So we are going to need a place to stay," Marlene stated.

Skipper nodded but said, "First, we are going to need some clothes."

So they did just that. Taking two shirts from the store and sneaking out to steal some zoo worker pants from another room. Though they got damp in process but they quickly dried off. After hiding in a storage room, they started the task of dressing themselves. While putting the clothes on, they took caution in avoiding looking at each other. To be honest, they haven't actually looked at each other since the disaster. Too busy freaking out and hiding in the store and all. No way were they going to let the whole zoo see them like this, making them go into a state of panic and confusion. This would have to be a secret.

When dressed, they finally looked at each other. Their faces burned at the sight, both thankful that the darkness prevented the other from seeing.

"You look...pretty Marlene," Skipper complimented tentatively. He added quickly, "Not that you weren't before!"

A shy smile spread across Marlene's lips, and she ducked her head in flattered embarrassment.

Skipper rubbed the back of his head, grinning. He frowned again, his hand dropping back to his side, upon realizing that they needed a place to stay before the zoo opened in the morning. The rain and thunder wasn't in their favor, which would factor in on their attempts to get out of the zoo. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an itching sensation all around his body.

The commando started to scratch at his stomach. He cringed. Human clothing rubbed up against him in all the wrong ways. He didn't like it. Looking up, he noticed Marlene was staring at him, though she was scratching her side as well. She was obviously in as much discomfort. "Uncomfortable," he stated, forcing a smile.

Marlene nodded in agreement. "I can't stand these. Can't we take them off?"

Skipper shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "We can't do that." He looked uncomfortable with his face flushing when he added, "It's...not what humans do."

Marlene went wide eyed. "So we have to keep them on?"

"Just at least when we're out in public."

"Then can't I take them off now?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't."

She huffed indigently. "Well then we might as well go find a place to sleep, a tree even, because I don't want to keep wearing these!" She turned away and took a few steps before pausing. "I'll look for an umbrella," she informed him and went off, shifting in discomfort.

The former penguin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He grumbled under his breath colorful adjectives. He liked Marlene but sometimes her attitude got him a bit annoyed. Though Skipper had his suspicions that other New York citizens had ignorant or irritable personalities. He was hoping other humans wouldn't provoke him. For their own sake.

Humans. The thing he had turned into. What a strange creature...

He contemplated on his features as he sat down on a crate. Flexing his hands, watching with memorization at his new fingers and thumb. He ran his hand through his hair, smoothing it out before it pricked back up again. Skipper inspected what was under his shirt and saw his muscles that he earned through his hard training, making him smirk at his build. Well at least something good came out of this.

Curiosity suddenly got the better of him.

Skipper snuck a look at what was hiding from the covers of the zookeeper pants. He raised a brow at what he saw.

Human anatomy was...odd.

* * *

**A/N: Requested. Future rated M chapters. I'm aware they use the Speak N Spell perfectly fine but just roll with it. I enjoy this type of atmosphere, rain and thunder. I will reveal what happened before in the future. Till then, review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Marlene blinked her eyes open, only to close them shut again when a blinding light hit her irises. A sharp pain seemed to explode in her head. She groaned and turned away. Her eyes shot open when she felt her leg hit something warm and soft but the only thing she saw was black hair. She sighed softly in relief when she realized it was just Skipper. However, she grew confused when she noticed that they were not in the Zoovenier shop, much less the Zoo. She sat up with wide, curious eyes and eyed her surroundings.

It was a small place. They were in a room that had two doors, both closed, and a single window with its curtains opened a crack, enough to have gotten into Marlene's eyes. There was a closet in the corner of the room with a tall mirror next to it, but she couldn't see her own reflection. In front of the bed was a television set that rested on a table. She was laid out on a bed, big enough to accommodate two people. The sheet over them was a cream cotton fabric, an odd feeling she concluded after feeling it with her fingers. The rooms walls were colored brown in a diamond shaped pattern, rimmed in a honey-brown color at the top. The ceiling was a white blank while the floor was a soft dark brown color. It smelled funny to Marlene. Foreign was the word. It wasn't unpleasant as it was odd.

With a sigh, she plopped back down on one of the four pillows on the bed. The bed squeaked at the shift of weight, shaking ever so slightly. Marlene looked at Skipper. He wasn't wearing a shirt and she was assuming he didn't have pants on either. She, on the other hand, still wore her shirt but no pants. Heat rose up on her cheeks when she saw his muscles flex as he breathed, almost instinctively tense. Even asleep, he was as alert as ever.

She then pondered on other things, trying to avoid looking at the man before her. She thought about food, the Zoo, her friends and unnecessary things. It came around multiple times in her thoughts about what had happened; always earning a feeling that was like a kick to the head if she thought about it, except less physically damaging. She tried to remember, refusing to let the dull throb in her head stop her.

A sudden headache struck her, sending another ache into her brain. She hissed in pain, placing a hand over her face, but she caught a snippet of a memory.

* * *

_"Hey guys! What'cha up to?" Marlene asked cheerfully after she had jumped down into the HQ._

_"Marlene? You shouldn't be here," Private told her gently, lightly pushing her back to the ladder. "Kowalski is testing a new invention."_

_Skipper's voice echoed in the HQ, "Private!" He pushed the young cadet aside and faced Marlene. "Marlene, you need to leave. This is classified business."_

_Now Marlene might've already left, though after asking many questions out of curiosity, but when Skipper told her to leave, she felt the need to argue for her right to stay. "C'mon Skipper! I never get to see the stuff you guys get to do. Everything is classified to you! I'm lucky to even know your names!"_

_"You're telling me! If someone outside the zoo found out that you knew us then it could compromise everything we've worked for," Skipper told her, eyeing the their secret base suspiciously. "They would make you blab out our secrets because of what? They knew that you knew us and that you were too sweet and naive to prove a challenge? You'd be an easy picking."_

_Marlene's anger boiled. She jabbed a finger at his feathery chest, earning a raised non-existent brow. "Listen here-"_

_Skipper interrupted, "Look, I don't have time for this, so just shimmy on up that ladder and leave us be." He waddled away calmly, leaving Marlene to clench and unclench her paws in fury._

_How dare he! She wasn't so easily taken down! How could he just judge her like that? Did he know her at all? She could protect herself! She wasn't some damsel in distress! She knew how to fight...sort of. Her fury was not only built on his comments but that she wasn't even worth his time. Not a single bit worth for an argument even. She felt truly offended and hurt. Did he even care about her? Marlene's anger dimmed a bit, replaced by distress._

_Private had stayed where he was and was watching Marlene with concern. He laid a comforting flipper on her shoulder. "He's doing this because he cares."_

_"If he really cared then you guys wouldn't keep so many secrets from me..."_

* * *

She stopped thinking and rested there on the bed, grimacing at the ache in her head, though questions still raced through her mind. "Where am I?" she asked herself. She didn't expect an answer. Marlene was startled immensely when Skipper spoke up.

"We're in a hotel," he informed her groggily, shifting to his side so his back was facing her.

That wasn't right. Skipper should have already been up, wide awake even. He was the 'early bird gets the worm' kind of guy. Then Marlene saw it. He was covered in bluish-purple bruises. How had she not noticed this before?

She gasped. "Oh my God Skipper! Are you ok? What happened?" She leaned over him so she could see his face.

He opened his eye a crack and a smirk slowly spread across his lips. "Just had to get a place to stay. Like my choice?"

"Yeah, yeah it's nice but what happened to you?"

"...Classified."

Marlene glared; Skipper closed his eye again. "It's always classified. Every time I ask you something, even the most simplest of questions, like 'where did you go' or 'how are you doing' then you say, and I quote, 'Classified'." She did not receive an answer back so she huffed and angrily swept her legs off to the side of the bed and stood up on the floor. She took awkward steps to one of the closed doors that were next to the TV. She was not use to the new weight or the longer legs and arms she had now.

She awkwardly grasped the handle, uncomfortable without her fur. A chill ran down her spine. She missed her fur and she suspected Skipper missed his feathers. Pulling down on the handle, she opened the door and entered the room, closing it softly behind her. She failed to notice that Skipper had been watching her.

Once she came into the new room, she removed the uncomfortable shirt and tossed it to the floor. Marlene was naked but she did not care. Skipper had said she could if there were no people around, right? She awkwardly made progress to a corner of the new apartment. It was what she believed to be a kitchen. It was only a bit larger than the bedroom but that wasn't saying much.

A fridge, microwave, stove, sink and a counter. Nothing more. She approached the fridge and crouched down. She opened the door to it, expecting food but there was none. Marlene sighed in disappointment and tried to ignore the gurgle of hunger that erupted in her stomach. This set back wouldn't stop her though. There had to be some somewhere, right?

"Now where can I get food..." she murmured to herself thoughtfully.

She straightened up and noticed two doors. One had a number on it so she curiously went to that one. She felt it with her fingers, intrigued by her fingers sensitivity. She then noticed something that looked like a hole a little above the numbers. Curiously, she brought her eyes to it and saw what was on the other side. A peephole she concluded. It was only a hallway with a couple of other doors. Would there be food out there?

Hesitantly, Marlene grasped the door handle. She attempted to bring it down but it wouldn't budge. She kept jiggling it up and down, getting increasingly frustrated. It took her a minute to realize that there was something above it. A lock? She turned it to the side and heard a click. Marlene then attempted to open the door again. It did. She looked outside the door, only poking her head out, and glanced on either side of the hallway. To her right looked like cleaning supplies for a janitor's closet but on the left looked like a vending machine. She recognized it because there had been one at the Zoo.

There was food inside.

She drew back into the apartment, skipped clumsily to the shirt and put it on. She cringed at the uncomfortable feeling. The Asian looking woman came to the door again, opened it and stepped outside. Unfortunately, the shirt only came down to a littler lower than her belly button, three inches lower maybe, and exposed her to the cold. Not to mention that it was _tight_. She couldn't help but notice hair in-between her legs. How curious.

Marlene cautiously came to the vending machine. She looked it over and saw candy, chips and other things like mini-donuts. She crouched down and felt under the machine for money. She came back up with only a few coins. Marlene had seen Private do this before, put money in the machine and you could get food. So she tried but couldn't find where to put it. She pouted in frustration and prodded the machine, shaking it. She was startled when someone spoke up from behind her.

"Need some help?"

She whirled around and saw a man. He had blonde hair that covered his forehead, decent muscles that showed he worked out in a gym and clear blue eyes. He had beige cargo pants and a white T-shirt. He looked charming, for a human. He didn't look fazed at the fact she was only half dressed.

"Uh, y-yeah," she stuttered nervously. "How does this thing work?" Marlene thought one good thing came out of this. Humans could understand her now, not that she wanted to stay like this just for that one perk.

The stranger looked amused and chuckled. "You put some money in here," he pointed, "and then press the numbers that match what you want." Marlene tried to put the coins in the slot but a hand stopped her. "You need dollars, sweetie. Not quarters and nickels. This one is a different model and even so, you don't have enough from what I see to get anything."

Marlene blushed in embarrassment. "Oh. I-I don't have that. Dollars, I mean."

"Here, allow me." He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out something.

She was bemused. "What's that?"

"A wallet." He looked at her curiously, almost critically actually. "Do you know anything about modern conveniences and...stuff?"

"...not really. I was always just given what I needed."

He hummed as he looked through his wallet. Marlene frowned. Had she made a bad impression already? "So what do you want?" he asked.

Marlene pointed to a bag of chips she was familiar with. Cheesy Bits was it?

So he inserted the correct number after putting the dollar in the slot. The stranger reached his hand into the machine and pulled out a bag, handing it over to Marlene. "So, what's your name?"

"Marlene," she said, suddenly cheerful. She opened the bag up and hungrily tossed a chip into her mouth. "Yours?"

"How about...I tell you back at my place."

The brown skinned woman stopped chewing and looked at him suspiciously. "And you can't just tell me here?"

He grinned slyly. Marlene became a bit frightened. "I like to get to know them before I give my name," he said, trailing a finger down her naked leg. _'Them?'_ Marlene quietly questioned. She slapped his hand away when he attempted to get in-between her thighs. "Oh c'mon. You must have come out here dressed like that for a reason," he teased. She swallowed thickly. There was a hint of malice in his tone now. "Don't tell me you never had a bit of _fun_ either..."

She stepped away from his touch. "I don't know what you mean."

"So you're spoiled but you don't know the pleasures I can give you?" He took a step forward and gripped her wrist, making Marlene drop the bag of chips. "Just come with me and I'll show you."

"Get away," Marlene demanded and tried to get out of his grip. It just tightened on her. "Let me go!"

He shushed her but all the sweetness from his face was gone. It was only fake kindness in his voice that scared Marlene the most. "We don't want anyone to hear you do we?"

Out of instinct, Marlene hollered, "Skipper!"

The assaulter brought a hand over her mouth and glared ferociously. All sign of fake sweetness was gone. "I don't give a damn on who this Skipper is but you're coming with me."

She bit his hand and twisted her wrist to the side so his hand was in an uncomfortable position and yanked it away. He yelped and backed away, holding his wrist. Marlene took a second to absorb the victory before trying to run back to the room she shared with Skipper. However, she was tackled to the floor with the stranger sitting on her back. It was very uncomfortable.

"I'll do it here if I have to!" he growled.

Marlene whimpered and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew, the weight was off her back. She opened her eyes, shivering at the violation that almost happened.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Marlene turned onto her side and looked, wide eyed, at her savior, Skipper in Zookeeper pants. He had kicked the assaulter off of her and was now throwing punches at him. The stranger's lip had split open and his nose was bleeding as he sat up against the wall. There were already some bruises on his face, making him a bloody mess. The only thing he could do was hold up his hands and blindly throw punches, though none were hitting Skipper.

The stubby soldier finally gave him a good kick to the head and he was out cold. Skipper panted, clenching and unclenching his fists to relieve tension and then looked up at Marlene. His angered expression immediately became concerned, especially when he saw how terrified she was. He was hoping it was not at him. He jogged to her side, picked her up and quickly entered their hotel room, closing and locking the door behind them.

The first thing he did was lay her out on their bed and ask, "Are you ok?"

Marlene was touched by his concern but she was still in shock. While she remained tense, Skipper looked her over for any injuries. His face was red but Marlene couldn't tell if it was from anger at this stranger or embarrassment of having to look over her body for injuries. Either way, he did look very worried and concerned for her.

"He was trying to rape you." It was a statement, not a question.

Marlene found the will to speak. "Yes." She has heard of it before but never did she think it would happen to her because she was an otter and lived in a Zoo. She _used_ to be an otter. It was a whole new story now. Life crashed down on her. All the consequences and problems they would have to face finally hit her. Tears started to silently fall from her eyes.

Then she was sobbing and she was cuddled up in Skipper's chest. He told her everything was going to be alright but it wasn't and he knew it but he still said it. They told each other it was going to be fine but they knew that life was going to get difficult until Kowalski fixed his machine.

"I should have put on some pants. He might've left me alone." Marlene convulsed in her sob. "I should've just left when he saw me."

Skipper held her comfortingly. His voice was gentle and patient. "I told you not to talk to anyone."

"I know," Marlene sobbed. She remembered from the night before that Skipper said, when they had been dressing, to avoid talking to people as much as possible. "B-but I-I was h-h-hungry and I saw f-food. I-I thought no one was a-around and that I-I was a-alone and then he s-seemed s-so n-nice but he-" she broke off and started to cry even harder on his chest.

Skipper didn't think it would have helped but he said, "He would have done it anyway. That was his intention all along; there was nothing you could do about it."

"I shouldn't have even gone out there..."

Skipper sighed and pulled her down on the bed. "You should sleep." He attempted to get up back but she pulled him back down.

"No! Don't leave me," she whimpered.

"Wasn't the whole reason you went out there to get food?" Skipper inquired, raising an eyebrow. She nodded. "Well, I was going to get some."

Marlene shook her head with closed eyes that spilled tears, a frown set firmly in place. "Don't, please. Stay with me. I don't want to be alone." The last thing she wanted was to have Skipper gone. In a way, he was her protector, her knight in shining armor. She didn't want him to leave when she needed him. It might've been humiliating to see her as such a mess but she didn't care. Her eyes were already red and puffy from crying so much.

Skipper realized she was probably going to be hysterical for a while. She was traumatized by some idiot. He felt a pain for Marlene, like part of it was his fault. No. It was his fault. If he hadn't provoked Marlene's anger then they wouldn't even be humans. She wouldn't be like this and they wouldn't be in their own version of hell. He sighed and ran his hand through his tussled hair. "Alright," he caved, "but I'm getting us some food later." He laid back down on the bed, allowing Marlene to snuggle up on his side. He threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"Is that a promise?" she murmured.

"Yes."

"C-can you d-do me a f-favor?"

"Yes?"

"No Cheesy Bits."

Skipper couldn't help but chuckle. "No Cheesy Bits." He closed his eyes and tried to relax his body. Honestly, he hated wearing pants and wanted to kick them off then and there, but he didn't want to expose himself. Stroking her back, he quietly told her that it was never her fault. He would bring his hand through her tangled hair softly, trying not to pull out hair because of the knots.

Marlene relaxed, and Skipper noticed, but listened quietly. His words and comforting touches made her grow tired. She yawned, having stopped crying, and started to drift off into slumber land. Skipper noticed this and quieted down but continued to stroke her back. The last thing she heard was something she thought she might of heard wrong. But something told her that she heard it as clear as day.

"I'm so sorry..."

And for a second, she thought he kissed her forehead.


	3. Chapter 3

_"C'mon Skippah, can't she stay?" Private pleaded. "What harm will she do?"_

_Skipper scowled. "She could blab about Kowalski's latest invention or help get it into enemy hands...err, flippers, wings, whatever appendage they got! Don't you remember Rhonda?"_

_"Well yes, but I-"_

_"Kowalski, how's the prep for this machine of yours doing?"_

_The strategist looked up with his goggles over his eyes. "Almost done, Skipper. I just need to plug it in and it should be ready for testing."_

_"What does it do?" Marlene piped up._

_Skipper turned his head in her direction and his brow lowered. "I thought I told you to get out."_

_"For once, just let me stay and watch," Marlene said pleadingly. "I promise I won't get in the way."_

_He looked at her thoughtfully, which gave the Asian Otter a glint of hope. She clasped her paws together and looked at him hopefully. Finally, he caved in at the expression she gave him and agreed. "Fine, you can stay." When she cheered, he added sharply, "As long as you don't get in the way what-so-ever."_

_Marlene nodded in understanding but took a couple of steps away so she was standing beside Private._

_Skipper scowled a bit as he realized that he might be pushing Marlene away too much lately. It was for the best, he kept telling himself, but something inside of him said otherwise. Was it really for the best? He was beginning to get the vibe that Marlene didn't like him at all, which stung, but he forced himself to ignore it. There were always alternate solutions than apologizing._

_Skipper leaned to the side and whispered to Kowalski, "When this is over, fire up the brain washing helmet."_

* * *

Skipper opened the door to their hotel room with bags being carried underneath his arms. He slammed the door closed with his foot and came to the counter in the cramped kitchen/living space. He grunted as he placed all the bags on the small, marble counter. The bags weren't as heavy as it looked, to him at least.

Skipper sighed and ran his hand through his messy black hair as he went to lock the door. He ended up wincing at the bruises on his back and arms; he was still sore and aching from the night before. It was difficult to fight in this new body, he concluded. Penguin fighting style wasn't going to cut it this time. He was going to need a new strategy.

The black-haired man started going through the bags and pulled out various types of food. Honestly, Skipper didn't know what to get so he had just stuffed it all into his cart, though most of it was fish. At least he was hoping it was fish. It was kind of hard to tell what everything was when you couldn't read and it was covered in plastic. Well, he never had money to pay for any of the food so he made a run for it, even though it went against his morals. The same run away strategy came up at the clothing store he went to also. He wondered if he'd be able to get back in there.

Through it all, he learned some new stuff about people, some of which involved Marlene but he'd get to that soon. It was a complete accident but he had overheard some people, specifically females, talk about 'women problems' and he felt compelled to take it upon himself to get things to Marlene's needs instead of his own. It had been awkward for him and anyone watching at what he picked out.

Years of military training made him snap into a fighting stance when a door opened. Skipper visibly relaxed when he realized it was only Marlene exiting the bedroom. He would have to get used to that...Marlene sharing a living space with him and all. His face burned when he realized she wasn't wearing anything and looked away. She might've learned her lesson but she would continue to wander freely in their hotel room. He didn't like it.

"Hey, Skipper," she greeted tiredly.

"Marlene, please," he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, dismissing the greeting. "At least where a shirt."

Marlene yawned and stumbled over to him, giving off a drunken impression. He was glad she hadn't been exposed to alcohol yet.

"But we're not in public," she argued tiredly and eyed him drowsily. According to her bedhead, she had just woken up. She didn't seem to mind the fact that he had left one hour after she fell asleep. Once the snoring kicked in, he decided it was time to head out.

Skipper sniffed with indifference. "Well, you shouldn't get too comfortable." He rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out a large shirt that he set aside. He dug deeper and pulled out what had been called a 'bra'. It looked funny and, personally, Skipper thought it'd be more useful as a slingshot. He resisted the urge to try it right there. Maybe when he was a penguin again he'd order his men to obtain some and use it on missions.

"Here." He tossed the clothing items to her. "Put it on," he instructed and, upon her look, he explained, "It's a bra."

Marlene stared at the bra with confusion. What an odd looking thing. "Do people actually wear this?"

"The females do."

The Asian looking women couldn't help the half-smile that tugged at her lips. "That hardly seems fair."

Skipper shrugged, smirking. "Don't argue with Mama Nature on that. I wasn't in charge of anatomy and, if I was, I would make a couple changes myself." He then pulled off his shirt, revealing his toned abs, and rolled the shirt up into a ball, tossing it across the room afterwards.

"So...I put this on first," Marlene mumbled as she attempted to put this 'bra' on. She had never seen it before on female people so she assumed it must have been hidden under women's clothes. The trouble was how to get it on. How on Earth did people live with this kind of stuff anyway? Humans had such an odd way of survival. Clothing just seemed so unnecessary.

Skipper tried to hide his smirk at the sight. Their eyes met and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Having some trouble there, doll face?"

Marlene pouted, which looked cute on her in Skipper's opinion, and immaturely stuck her tongue out. "I bet you just love watching me struggle," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Yes," Skipper admitted, smirking. He stepped toward her and grabbed the bra from her. "How about you let a soldier help you out."

"So you're the expert on bras then?" she teased.

Skipper decided to play along for once. They could use some moral. "Oh yes, and you're doing it all wrong, my dear."

Marlene giggled.

The soldier moved to Marlene's backside and wrapped the bra around her chest, breathing against Marlene's back in a way that made her shiver. He clipped it in the back and helped slip the straps over her shoulders. Granted, he didn't know if he was doing it right but he had confidence that he was. It looked right...oh great, he was staring now.

_'Look away man...'_

Skipper felt his face heat up so he turned away before Marlene noticed. He coughed into his hand and said, "I got some food."

His female companion perked up. "That's great Skipper!" Her stomach growled expectantly, making her let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Got any scallops?"

The commando rubbed the back of his head. "Couldn't find any," he lied, trying to hide his lack of consideration at that field. "But I, uh, got us some fish."

Marlene only appeared a bit disappointed. She tried to remain positive, evident when she said, "Well, fish is good enough. At least we have food."

Skipper pulled out a large packet of frozen fish, condensation covering the plastic. He frowned and shrugged. "Ok, it's frozen...how about some popcorn?" A grin formed at the amused and sly smile Marlene gave him. "What? I don't know what to do with frozen fish."

"Yet you know about bras?" Marlene countered with a smirk of her own.

"Touché," Skipper drawled out with his usual suave tone and pulled out a bag of popcorn. At least he knew what to do with this. The soldier placed the bag in the center of a microwave, slammed it closed and pressed three numbers, starting up the process of getting the delicious salty snack. The screen lit up from the bulb, spinning the popcorn bag in lazy circles. "There, see. I can feed us."

Marlene was about to make a comment but a series of knocks cut her off. She flinched a bit but quickly recovered. She instinctively went to open the door but Skipper cut her off.

"Let the man of the house take care of this," he told her with a small gesture for her to go into the bedroom. She did so with an annoyed look and stalked irritably into the indicated room with the black haired commando watching. He shook his head, removing himself from his daze when she disappeared. Skipper turned his attention back to the door, unlocked it and grasped the knob. Cautiously, he opened the door a crack. You would too if a guy tried to rape your close friend just two hours ago. "Can I help you?" he said more of a statement in a blank and blunt tone.

The woman before him looked nervous, if a bit awkward, and was avoiding his gaze. "Uh, yes. My room is just a door or two away and I heard about...what happened earlier. I wanted to ask if everything was alright."

Skipper's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh really?" he inquired skeptically, utter doubt and suspicion in his tone. He opened the door further and narrowed his eyes in an intimidating scowl. It would've been the case if this woman would actually look at him. "Look lady-"

"Skipper, don't be so rude!" Marlene piped up crossly from behind.

"I told you-"

"I'm sorry miss," Marlene, who was now wearing pants, apologized after shoving the protective commando aside. "He's just paranoid is all." She might've looked friendly but she really was wary and paranoid as well. At the moment, she wasn't comfortable around other humans. After what happened an hour or two ago, who would be? Besides, it had been just one guy...surely she could trust this young adult.

The stranger finally looked up and attempted a smile. "Oh, it's fine," she lied. "I was just wondering if you're alright."

Marlene nodded slightly and bit her lip. "I am now. I feel better now that's it over."

"Well, I was wondering if I could-"

"We're not interested," Skipper cut in and made a move to slam the door shut but Marlene managed to keep it open.

"Skipper, please." She glared at him sternly. The Asian looking woman looked to the stranger apologetic. "Again, sorry," she chuckled nervously. "Oh, um, I'm Marlene. What's your name?"

"Diane," their 'neighbor' answered and attempted again at a smile. "You have a lovely name," she complimented.

Marlene felt herself grinning. "Oh, thank you." A bit unsure of how to return the favor, Marlene said, "You have a nice one too." Did humans react differently to this kind of stuff? Marlene wasn't all that sure but she would go with what felt natural...and hoped it came out right. Well, they were all the same, in her book at least, but possibly different ways of doing things. "So what were you saying? You were wondering if...?" Marlene trailed off, leaving a gap for Diane to fill.

"I was wondering if you'd like me to do something for you."

"You can leave," Skipper groaned rudely and walked away from the door, having grown bored of the exchange.

A sigh passed through Marlene's lips. "Skipper," she drawled threateningly. "Stop it already." The irritated female turned back to Diane and said politely, "No thank you. I appreciate it but I'm good."

"Alright. I'm a door down if you do happen to need anything." Diane couldn't have left sooner as she ran back to her room, closing the door behind a bit harder than Marlene would've liked. She doubted she would be visiting Diane...or the other way around.

_'Great first impression,'_ Marlene thought sarcastically.

Marlene closed the door and locked it. She immediately turned to Skipper, an accusing scowl on her face. "I know you don't want people around but at least try to blend in and be polite."

Skipper sighed, turned on his heel when the microwave let out a low ding and went to retrieve the bag inside. "Marlene, I don't have time for 'being polite'. I'm a strict commando wrapped in action and adventure. I'm all muscle, not a weak link that'll apologize over every little thing." He pulled out the fully popped bag of popcorn, opened it and took a handful of the buttery treats before eating it. This only made a mess on the floor from some that managed to escape his mouth.

"Keep eating the way you are then there won't be any muscle to show," Marlene teased and poked his stomach, though she wasn't smiling. "Can't you try to be nice, for me?" she asked and gave her best puppy dog face. His face didn't lighten up in the slightest, making Marlene give it up with a pout.

Skipper admitted quietly, "You know, I miss seeing that face when you were an otter...that was cute then." He held out the bag to Marlene, refusing her access of questioning his statement. She sighed and took some, shoving a handful into her mouth. "Alright, look, I'm sorry doll face," he apologized, sounding almost sincere. "I just don't want anything bad happening to you," he grumbled and tossed a couple more pieces of the buttery flavored snack into his mouth. "Better to have been paranoid then to have never been paranoid at all."

Marlene waited for him to say more but he refused to. "I don't want anything bad happening to you either," she admitted and suddenly hugged him, startling the commando immensely. "You're my best friend you know..."

"And you're my best lady friend," Skipper chuckled and awkwardly returned the embrace after setting the bag down. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, stroking her long brown hair in the process. "Which is why I refuse to let anything happen to you."

It was a risk, in some form, but Marlene asked it anyway. "Are you sure that's why?"

"Eh, I'm pretty sure."

That wasn't the response she wanted to hear.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day wasn't as relaxing as they had originally hoped. The duo ate popcorn and watched T.V, nothing considered to be productive or unusual, but then employees at the hotel caught whiff of the earlier incident and offered gifts, apologies, and such to them. However, under all that attention that Marlene appreciated, Skipper was standing by, furious. One person was enough, but then with that many people having the knowledge of who they were made him feel like it just compromised the whole 'mission', as he called it.

It was that next evening of their adjustment when Marlene was truly becoming irritated by his insistent paranoid ramblings.

"We should move our operation," Skipper told her conspiringly as she lay sprawled out on the large comfy bed, dully watching television play its re-runs, while he crouched over a low, small coffee table. He'd constructed a crude model of the hotel out of junk food to play out the action plan he was formulating. "I'll get my men to provide a distraction here," he announced and moved three frozen fish sticks forward in front of a marble, a crudely drawn on face via permanent marker. "They'll keep those supposed 'employees' distracted while we escape through the air vents and head to Moscow, get jobs as cow milking experts, and then-"

"Skipper, this isn't war," said Marlene tiredly from the bed as she curled up against the soft and warm sheets. The exasperated tone was not lost on him. "And its especially not one of your-" She waved her hands helplessly in the air as she struggled to find the right words, "-commando operations."

The ever paranoid soldier scowled. "I'm in the military of elite, high commando status, protecting everyone in Central Park!" he reminded dutifully. "My special operations are what keep everything running!"

"Yeah, ok," Marlene began sarcastically as she sat up, a deadpan expression rubbing her roommate's nerves in the wrong direction. "That commando stuff you do is in a _Zoo_."

"_All_ of Manhattan," he corrected pointedly, "But that's beside the point Marlene," Skipper grumbled, only mildly aggravated. He refused to make eye contact as he absentmindedly chewed on a frozen fish stick that had originally been Private. Speaking of the devil, he realized a peanut butter winky was absent from his set. He suspected their earlier visit was when he procured it. The best thing that came from their stopover was the status report, which hadn't been all that good either. Kowalski was going slower than anticipated.

The fair-haired soldier shook his head to get back on his original train of thought. "We shouldn't stay here, we'll be compromised."

"By what?" Marlene questioned with an exaggerated gesture to the ceiling as she flopped right back onto the bed. "Let me guess...squids, right?"

"_Alien_ space squids," rectified Skipper, "From Mars, with some Jiggli overlords calling all the shots!"

The Asian beauty regarded the back of his head, nearly a loss for words at this statement. Just when she thought he couldn't get any more insane. "Really? Like, _wow, _Skipper."

The commando abruptly and swiftly rose to his feet and used his heel to turn towards Marlene's direction in the span of a second. "I'm being serious sister!" he snapped eloquently, training the half-eaten fish stick at her face like a legit threat.

"So am I!" she shouted as, she too, stood up on the floor. "Skipper, they're _employees_, not spies!"

"But that's what-"

"-'_they want you to believe'_," Marlene finished dully for him, eyes rolling in their sockets. "Yeah, _I know_!" She's heard this a thousand times; it wasn't a surprise he'd say it again. Honestly, as much as she liked Skipper, he had these quirks that could just be so infuriating! "Not everyone is your enemy you know!"

"An enemy is just a friend who hasn't attacked yet," Skipper admitted, though not wavering in his position in the argument. Ok, Marlene hadn't heard _that_ one before, but it certainly _did not_ help his case. "Think outside the box Marlene!" A wide gesticulation was used by his hands to express the point. "I know you're into 'the beauty within' and 'deep down there's a friend' clichés, but can't you see their vicious nature?!" he shouted hysterically.

The safety of the furniture was only briefly considered.

Marlene groaned, giving up, and face planted onto the bedspread, burrowing her head into the fluffy pillow. Through the feather filled comfort, she mumbled, "Can you _please_ give me some chocolate, Skipper?"

Taking this as a sign of victory, the black-haired commander silently tossed her a chocolate bar that had been part of his diorama of the hotel. It hit her back and bounced onto the sheets beside her. Marlene rolled over and grabbed it, quietly unwrapping the bar as Skipper pounced with as much grace as a lion onto the bed. He stalked to her side and, as if it were instinct, they sat so close together that their hips were touching as they watched the mind numbing television. It was as if they had never argued.

Marlene took the first sweet bite of chocolate and found it to be more delicious then it had been when she was an otter. It was strange to suddenly be thrust into 'someone else's clothing', if you wanted to phrase it that way. Things were different, but then they weren't. She still walked on two legs but now with a longer gait she was not use to. Then there was the lack of fur, and she felt strangely naked without it. Even with clothes on it couldn't provide the same warmth and insulation as her beloved shiny coat had. Everything tasted and felt different too, though she was hoping for the same love for oysters to exist in her taste buds.

Only so little was left unchanged, though it felt different; her relationship with Skipper for example. They had always been friends, close companions when not fighting, but she noticed that they were both awkward around each other now that they were human. This made her vaguely recall something Kowalski had said about human hormones but, due to lack of attention when he had spoken of the subject, she could not remember the details and if it applied to their situation. Surprisingly, the lifestyle wasn't all that different either. She just had more freedom, in a sense.

The chocolate consumer's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion that rung from the television set, sending a subtle vibration throughout the room. Skipper grinned from beside her, cheering enthusiastically at the display of violence and action. Honestly, Marlene didn't get what was so great about it. What was thrilling about people dying in a fiery ball of heat? But he enjoyed it and would evidently refuse to change the channel, so she just focused on her chocolate bar.

It went like this for a while, till she let out a sigh that must've expressed her disapproval or boredom.

"You don't like this?"

Her head craned up at his question. Marlene was a bit stunned, having not expected Skipper to talk to her during the show, much less ask about how she felt about it. However, she spoke without pause, "I just don't understand what's so great about _this_." She gestured casually to the electronic set.

Skipper looked surprised, shocked even, that she couldn't see the beauty of it, but he promptly dismissed it and scoffed, "Why don't any of you women ever like violence?" (He briefly recalled the fleeting image of Kitka in his mind but it passed quickly). He didn't intend disrespect or for it to actually mean anything, but Marlene still took it to heart. It was one of those times when he could be really sexist and that was one thing she had never liked about him.

"People are _dying_, Skipper!"

Now he got why she was upset, but he found it ridiculous still. The suave captain retorted, "It's not real, everything's staged, and nobody is getting hurt!"

Still, Marlene had her doubts. "What about _outside_ of televised production shows?" She has seen him; he takes enjoyment out of all kinds of violence, though not to the incredible fright of Rico's.

"The sensation of adrenaline, Marlene," Skipper answered simply, withdrawing so he wasn't in physical contact with her anymore. He shifted with discomfort in the bedspread to try and seep some warmth into the sheets of the cooler spot he laid on. He found himself missing Marlene's warmth a bit. "But I know you wouldn't understand that feeling."

"I do too!" she objected, sitting up with a glare of indignation. "A bunch of times, like when Rico and I kicked those gorillas butts!" A couple of air punches seem to justify her claim.

Skipper was bitter at the statement. "Bet you _love_ hanging around my men…" he grumbled spitefully. His arms crossed over his chest, another protective layer.

Two could play at that game. "You know what? I do, more than hanging around with a sexist, snarky, stern guy like you!" The tension and build-up of how she felt was cracking like a broken dam, begging to spill out in a flood that would crush others, in this case, Skipper's heart. But she refused to give him the satisfaction of her breakdown. Yet she couldn't stop yelling. "You can just be such a jerk! I don't get what I do wrong! I try to be friendly, but you just push me away and shout everything's classified! I'm sick of it! You are never honest with me!"

Marlene was standing now, looming over Skipper, who actually appeared stunned. In the moment of anger, she was moved by impulse, but as she shared that intense second of staring into his eyes, a curtain flapped in her head, and she was a loss for words. She stood there, gawking at him with the intensity being lost every second. Finally, face burning with humiliation, Marlene sat down, back facing her roommate.

It takes a great deal of courage to accept when you were wrong and Skipper, being the prideful guy he was, found this especially difficult. However, with Marlene, it seemed to be near impossible for him to even _acknowledge_ it. This time, he would condone he was wrong. Hesitantly, Skipper crawled close till he was crouched a foot away from her hunched back (he noted silently that it was quivering a bit). He hadn't planned on saying anything, but he ended up blurting out, "Do you hate me?"

She stiffened with surprise but turned to him with wide innocent eyes that pleaded no harm to another. They were stinging from unshed tears. Marlene breathed airily, "I don't hate you."

"You act like it."

"You're just aggravating and pig-headed. That doesn't mean I hate you."

"But you like the boys more?"

"I like you all the same."

Skipper didn't believe it.

"I always thought that you hated me..."

He scoffed, sitting up but unable to stare straight into her brown eyes. "How could I hate you, doll face?" he asked tenderly. It was more so to himself than to anyone else.

But there it was; the soft, caring voice of him. That was the side of Skipper she liked, the one that let the shields down and would open up, if only a little bit. Yes, she liked him in general, but it was nice to get some real sincerity out of him. However, she had no idea how to answer the question. It seemed rhetorical enough, but she found herself struggling and grasping for an answer.

"I don't know," she mumbled finally and turned back, resting her chin over her folded arms. There was a bit of spite as she muttered, "You never want me to be around."

Skipper slid by and sat beside her, gripping her knee in his strong, pale hand. His thumb rubbed over the kneecap for a moment before pausing. "I do what I do for reasons, Marlene…."

Whatever that reason may be, she knew he wouldn't tell her anytime soon. It offered little comfort, if what he meant was that he didn't hate her. She'd take what she could get out of him.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did," Skipper grunted and hopped off the bed. "I know you, and you're not one to lie, unless you have to." He smirked a bit. "Something I hate and love at the same time." The smirk broadened at the evident pink on her cheeks. "Well, I'm going to try and cook us up some fish sticks! If you hear anything…then you didn't hear anything." He gave the ominous hand circular motions, slowly backing out of the room.

And as he closed that door, Marlene didn't know what to think. He was complicated, that was the statement of the century (she humorously acknowledged her own sarcasm), but…he was also a great friend.

In that moment, as she lay back down, she wondered if, perhaps, he could be something greater…like a lover. The idea of him softening, letting down those protective layers, and allowing and trusting someone with the greatest depths of his secrecy was an absurd notion. It appealed very much to her. Marlene couldn't help but admit it, whenever he told her something; it filled her with pride and flattery that he trusted her with a secret, no matter how small it may be.

A coy smile played her lips, recalling the times he'd shared some of the lair mysteries with her. He'd revealed several weapon panels, showed her where their individual hidden weapons were (funny, Private had nun-chunks in that stuffed fish of his), and gave her a brief tour of the many levels. The smile turned into a considerate frown as she justified these actions. In retrospect, the gesture hadn't been more for the sake of 'taking them out if they went rouge' or 'defending thyself if need be' as it had been as a sign of trust. It was oddly displayed but no less as a point, he'd never willingly shown these things to anyone else (aside from his own team), to her knowledge.

Did she show him the same trust? She'd never talked about her aquarium scandal but that could be compared as her Denmark memory. But she _did_ trust him with her life…though with some caution. It had to be admitted, their ways could be a little screwy.

A sudden bang and an ongoing alarm resonated from the other side of the door and, with nothing on but a nightgown to her knees; Marlene jumped up and threw the door open, heart pounding with fear. The sight required her hand to muffle her laughter. A few stray giggles were let loose.

Skipper coughed, a comical cloud of smoke coming out from his lungs. The stove was on fire; the smoke alarm was blaring because of it, and had most likely burnt all existence of their fish sticks. Upon her silent inquiry, he had told her, "Men do not cook in kitchens for a reason, Marlene." For them, it was, apparently, a mine field. He allowed her to help put out the fire (it'd taken several minutes since she had the need to tease him, turning into a battle of pokes before people had actually come to fix the problem) and found himself grinning throughout the whole process.

As they explained the issue to the works men, Skipper could barely contain that smile. He could hardly hold back his bark of laughter when Marlene, ever to be observant, pointed out one of them had a fanny pack on. The uncharacteristic childish desires that had come out of all the antics shamed him into silence once the workers left, but that too quickly flitted away when his lady friend had insisted on cleaning his face.

Apparently the fire had found a way of getting him dirty.

She had done so delicately with a wash cloth, dabbing his face to rid of all the grime. At some point, he'd wished the mess to stay there as his face burned and had surely turned a shade of red from her attention.

It'd come from that tender, sweet and coy smile of hers. Her deep, chocolate brown eyes shined up at him, welcoming him to lose himself in the endless warm depths. He relaxed, eyes half hooded as he watched her clean his face. It was taking a while, surely she was done by now? His suspicions were never voiced, as he never really minded. He must've said something at some point though, as she blushed profusely and walked away as quickly as possible to dispose of the dirtied towel.

At night, he'd confronted her and again apologized with a suck of his pride, finding it worth it when he'd later slept with an arm full of Marlene. He caressed her hair, loving how his fingers were able to run through so smoothly now that he'd gotten her a new brush. With the silence, he came to quick conclusions on their one of many dilemmas.

He could tell from their first fight that it certainly wouldn't be the last. He sensed with each one that they were trying to tell each other something, but it'd never got through or was never spoken, adding to their tension. He couldn't say what it was; as he didn't really know what it was he wanted to say himself. He just silently hoped it'd be soon.

Skipper was clever, scarcely called smart, but he indeed was. Kowalski was the brains of the team's outfit, so he left the thinking to him. Now that didn't mean he had the same knowledge but he was still intelligent, in his own way. So he was fairly certain he was correct with his theory, his growling gut supported it.

Those rumblings might've been why Marlene woke up at midnight later on.

"Go back to sleep," he grumbled crossly when she kept shifting in the bedspread, squeaks making his face twitch in annoyance. He'd stopped holding her when her snores kicked in.

"Can't," she uttered simply and resumed her battle for sleep. There seemed to be no comfortable spots or positions on that stupid mattress.

Some more grumbling and a sound of something opening and closing, then he came and wrapped his muscular arms around her smaller and leaner frame. He pulled Marlene flush against his toned chest with a calming sigh. Now this was comfortable. After some minutes, his quiet, almost imperceptible snores startled the air. It was then she noticed him wearing ear plugs, a minor insult to her pride, but as long as he'd hold her for the night, she couldn't really complain.


End file.
